Shafer Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Shafer Family

4,976 Shafer records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

4,976Records in our database

1809Earliest birth

2Documented families

4Biographies

See the Shafer family trees →331 Shafer families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

4,976 Shafer records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Ohio (1,477 of 4,976)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Mary'A Shafer, born 1817, Hancock County, Ohio
Earliest in the county histories: A. Shafer, born 1809

Most common first names

John116 Charles109 William107 Mary103 James92 Robert91 George60 Harry56 Donald55 Ruth53 Helen50 Paul49

Documented families

Shafer families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Shafer family of Coshocton CountyOhioStarts: Abraham Shafer and Maria (Davis) Shafer (b. 1809)Most recent: Edmund Shafer (b. 1847)

Family records from county histories (1)

Edward J. Shafer b. 1869Shelby County, OhioStarts: Jacob Shafer & Susan KeisterMost recent: Evaline Shafer

The earliest Shafers in the county histories

John ShaferBorn 1815Champaign County, Ohio Jacob H. ShaferBorn 1815Morrow County, Ohio George ShaferBorn 1818Cloud County, Kansas W. S. ShaferBorn 1829, Stark CountyChild of John Shafer and Mary (Putnam) ShaferHancock County, Ohio Job M. ShaferBorn 1830Darke County, Ohio George M. ShaferBorn 1834Child of Henry ShaferLogan County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

331 Shafer families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

19 Shafer death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

37 Shafer people in 25 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (4)

A. ShaferBorn 1809 · Coshocton County, Ohio Alfred L. ShaferBorn 1841 · Seneca County, Ohio Peter ShaferBorn 1845 · Coshocton County, Ohio M. C. ShaferBorn 1866 · Hancock County, Ohio

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Shafer family

Found your Shafer? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Shafer genealogy: FAQ

Where were Shafer ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 4,976 Shafer records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Ohio (1,477), then Missouri (614) and Indiana (498).

How far back does the Shafer family tree go?

The earliest Shafer birth in our database is 1817: Mary'A Shafer, Hancock County, Ohio. The old county histories name A. Shafer, born 1809. We have pieced together 331 Shafer family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Shafer family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Shafer family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.